Ben Taylor
Basketball analyst and author of Thinking Basketball (2016). Runs thinkingbasketball.net (formerly Backpicks), with historical player metrics and rankings, and the Thinking Basketball YouTube channel on NBA strategy and history.
Ben Taylor did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
What they believe
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Superstars almost always require secondary stars to win.
But as I've mentioned before, superstars almost always require secondary stars to win!
thinkingbasketball.netSaid 14 Mar 2022This on korrents
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One-number metrics relying on raw plus-minus data add a significant amount of noise.
One-number metrics relying on raw plus-minus data are adding a ton of noise.
thinkingbasketball.netSaid 6 Jul 2021This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 15 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
Superstars almost always require secondary stars to win.
But as I've mentioned before, superstars almost always require secondary stars to win!
Thinking Basketball Said 14 Mar 2022
NBA basketball impact follows the Pareto principle.
NBA basketball follows the Pareto principle, or an "80-20 rule" - most of the impact comes from a small number of players.
Thinking Basketball Said 14 Mar 2022
Three All-Star seasons are comparable in value to a single MVP season.
So even with some wiggle room in these models, it still looks like three All-Star seasons is comparable to a single MVP season.
Thinking Basketball Said 14 Mar 2022
Show 12 more
One-number metrics relying on raw plus-minus data add a significant amount of noise.
One-number metrics relying on raw plus-minus data are adding a ton of noise.
Thinking Basketball Said 6 Jul 2021
Changes in the scoreboard are the most important indicator of impact.
But changes in the scoreboard are everything - it's really the thing we care about when we reference "impact."
Thinking Basketball Said 6 Jul 2021
Actual playoff RAPM is extremely noisy due to small sample sizes.
Actual playoff RAPM is insanely noisy because of the sample sizes.
Thinking Basketball Said 6 Jul 2021
Lineup net ratings require samples of more than a few hundred minutes and diverse opponents to be considered trustworthy.
To "trust" raw lineup data, we almost always want samples that are more than a few hundred minutes and we want them to have played diverse opponents.
Thinking Basketball Said 14 Dec 2019
A sample of two hundred minutes is generally an unstable sample for assessing lineup data.
Even two hundred minutes (or 400-something possessions) is generally an unstable sample.
Thinking Basketball Said 14 Dec 2019
Elite regular-season and postseason impact looks quite similar.
Through this lens, elite regular-season and postseason impact looks quite similar.
Thinking Basketball Said 10 May 2018
Top-end value for superstars may not be materially greater in the playoffs than in the regular season.
Otherwise, it appears that top-end value for superstars isn't materially greater in the playoffs than in the regular season, and many superstars fail to match their regular season value.
Thinking Basketball Said 10 May 2018
People intuitively undervalue longevity in basketball greatness rankings.
So, it seems that beyond a simple difference in rating criteria, we intuitively undervalue longevity in these kinds of rankings.
Thinking Basketball Said 13 Apr 2018
Undervaluing secondary-star seasons leads analysts to over-credit first options and overestimate their worth.
Since we typically devalue these kinds of secondary seasons, we dole out more credit to "first options" and thus overestimate their worth.
Thinking Basketball Said 13 Apr 2018
Most historical basketball analysis underestimates the high-end impact of defense.
Most historical analysis has been offensive-centric - biased by the box score and ball-watching - and most rankings seem to underestimate both the high-end impact of defense and the wide range of defensive impact between most players.
Thinking Basketball Said 13 Apr 2018
On-ball scoring does not outweigh other core skills like defense and passing.
I also apply themes that have emerged from historical research over the years, like the tendency of big men to have larger defensive impact, or that on-ball scoring, while incredibly important, doesn't outweigh other core skills like defense and passing.
Thinking Basketball Said 12 Feb 2018
A player's actual quality is generally smoother than their year-to-year value and is governed by aging and health.
While a player's value on a team can vary greatly from year to year, his actual quality - the theoretical average of all his values from every team - is generally much smoother, governed by aging and health.
Thinking Basketball Said 12 Feb 2018
What is a korrent?
A korrent is a belief a person has stated in their own words: one sentence stating the claim, backed by a quote and a source, kept at korrents.com.
Under a name here, the quoted block is what they actually said. The korrent beneath it is the claim those words support, in korrents' wording — tap it to see the record, its source, and who else holds it.
Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.
Where they publish
Site Thinking Basketball Historical NBA metrics, player rankings and essays; recent posts are for Patreon members
Link verified 24 Oct 2026.
YouTube Thinking Basketball Video essays on NBA tactics, players and history
Link verified 24 Oct 2026.
About the English under a post
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